Origin: Latin suffix -al
Inspirational has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
A book or article intended to inspire people with positive feelings.
"She bought an inspirational magazine on her way home from work to boost her mood."
In plain English: An inspirational person is someone who makes you feel motivated and excited to do your best.
"The book provided an inspirational for her to keep trying despite setbacks."
imparting a divine influence on the mind and soul
"The ancient hymn was so inspirational that it seemed to fill her heart with a divine presence, lifting her spirit beyond mere words."
Having the ability to inspire.
"The coach's passionate speech was truly inspirational, motivating every player to give their best effort on the field."
In plain English: Inspirational means something that makes you feel excited and motivated to do better.
"The speech was so inspirational that everyone in the audience stood up to cheer."
Usage: Use inspirational when something actively motivates others, such as an inspirational speech that encourages action. Avoid using it merely for things you find uplifting; instead, reserve words like "uplifting" or "heartening" if they do not provoke a drive to act.
The word inspirational comes from combining the root inspiration with the suffix -al to form an adjective describing something that inspires. This construction allowed English speakers to directly describe people or things as possessing the quality of being inspiring.